Category: Speeches

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what average time his Department took to respond to freedom of information requests in each year since 2005.

    Matthew Hancock

    The Government publishes statistics on the operation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 within central government, including on timeliness. These reports can be accessed at the following webpage: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-foi-statistics.

    “

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Daniel Zeichner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-12-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to spread the £300 million for cycling announced in the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015 over five or six years.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government has agreed a four-year revenue and five-year capital settlement for local transport spend, which includes cycling and walking investment.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what income his Department received in connection with its holding in NATS Holdings Ltd in each year from 2010-11 to 2014-15; and what his Department’s projected income is from its holding in NATS Holdings Ltd in each year from 2015-16 to 2020-21.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    NATS is a private company and HMG owns a 49% stake in this entity.

    In each of the years 2010-11 to 2014-15, the Department received the following income in connection with its stake in NATS:

    Year

    2010-11

    2011-12

    2012-13

    2013-14

    2014-15

    Income (£m)

    19.547

    24.775

    19.547

    30.298

    37.628

    Future dividend distribution will be determined by the board of NATS as appropriate.

  • Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-01-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what redress is available to those who do not feel that they have obtained parity of esteem as promised in the Belfast Agreement 1998.

    Lord Dunlop

    I have nothing further to add to my earlier responses on parity of esteem.

  • Lord Moynihan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Moynihan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Moynihan on 2016-02-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what advice they have offered the British Olympic Association regarding the potential health threat posed by the Zika virus to members of Team GB preparing in Brazil and competing at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    We are in regular contact with the British Olympic Association and British Paralympic Association and our advice to them is in line with the Government’s travel advice. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has updated its travel advice to affected countries, referring people to the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) or to their medical professionals, if they have concerns. NaTHNaC has published specific advice for women who are pregnant to seek advice from a health professional before travel, and to consider avoiding travel to areas where Zika outbreaks are ongoing. Government continues to monitor the situation closely.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-03-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the total financial commitment by the UK to Gaza since fighting ceased in 2014.

    Baroness Verma

    The UK provided more than £17 million in immediate humanitarian assistance for those affected by the Gaza conflict in the summer of 2014. In October 2014, the UK pledged a further £20 million in early recovery assistance at the Gaza Reconstruction Conference in Cairo. The UK has disbursed this pledge in its entirety. Since then the UK has provided more than £25 million of additional support to Gaza for a range of activities, including basic service delivery and support to the private sector.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the criteria are for listing specific days in mandatory flag flying days in the list published by his Department on the gov.uk website.

    David Evennett

    The designated days for flying the Union Flag on Government buildings have been set specifically to mark special occasions by command of Her Majesty the Queen and on the advice of Government.

  • Mike Kane – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Mike Kane – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 12 May 2016 to Question 36796, when she expects to publish the updated country information and guidance on handling asylum claims made by Eritrean nationals.

    James Brokenshire

    We intend to publish revised country information and guidance on handling claims made by Eritrean nationals in the near future.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-07-06.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of excluding agency workers from the pay bill when determining a company’s liability for paying the Apprenticeship Levy due to such workers’ ineligibility for apprenticeships.

    Mr David Gauke

    Where an employment agency supplies labour to a client and pays Class 1 secondary National Insurance contributions for those workers, they will be liable to pay the levy, providing their annual pay bill exceeds £3million.

    The government recognises the important contribution that contingent labour makes to the economy, however, excluding agency workers would create adverse incentives to hire all staff off-payroll.

    The government will support all employers in using the levy funds to invest in apprenticeships and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills is working with employers to create apprenticeships across all sectors.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-10-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the claim by the Intergenerational Foundation that high house prices increased segregation in society.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    We accept that our failure for many years not to build enough homes has serious consequences. House prices have risen faster then incomes; while renters are paying, on average 50 per cent of their income in rent which makes saving for a deposit all the more difficult. This means that the dream of home ownership is further away for younger people today when compared to previous generations.

    This Government is committed to solving the housing crisis by every means possible. That means taking action to ensure that we build more homes in this country. We have doubled the housing budget to almost £20 billion over the next five years, including £8 billion to deliver over 400,000 affordable homes by 2021.

    We have also taken steps to help people on the path to home ownership. Our Help to Buy: Equity Loan has helped over 91,000 households to buy a new-build home since the scheme was introduced in 2013. 81 per cent of these sales have gone to first-time buyers.

    But we recognise the need to go further. That’s why we launched the £3 billion Home Building Fund that will help deliver 225,000 badly-needed new homes on sites throughout England. Further measures will be included in a Housing White Paper later this autumn.